10 Best AI-Powered CRM Software in 2027

The 10 best AI-powered CRM software platforms in 2027 include Salesforce Sales Cloud Einstein AI and Agentforce, HubSpot Smart CRM Breeze AI, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot, Zoho CRM Zia AI, Freshsales Freddy AI, Creatio CRM, Pipedrive AI Sales Assistant, Attio, Affinity, and Close CRM. They differ in how deeply AI is built into sales workflows, how much customisation they offer, and which teams they are designed to support.

Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales are suited to organisations with complex sales processes, while HubSpot connects CRM with inbound marketing and service tools. Zoho CRM and Freshsales offer AI-assisted sales features for growing teams; Creatio focuses on configurable workflows; Pipedrive centres on pipeline execution; Attio supports flexible data models; Affinity specialises in relationship-led dealmaking; and Close is designed for high-activity sales communication.

This guide compares each platform by its documented AI capabilities, core CRM tools, integrations, usability, pricing structure, and likely fit. AI functions can depend on the subscription, region, configuration, or usage credits, so confirm the current details with the vendor before purchasing.

Quick Comparison: Best AI-Powered CRM Software in 2027

Pricing note: the detailed profiles below use the currencies and billing terms stated in the draft; Creatio is shown in GBP while most other providers are shown in USD. Prices, promotions, onboarding fees, AI credits, and feature availability can change, so verify them on each vendor’s official pricing page before publication or purchase.

What Is AI-Powered CRM Software?

AI-powered customer relationship management (CRM) software combines customer records, sales pipelines, and communication histories with tools such as prediction, natural-language assistance, pattern detection, and task automation. Unlike a basic CRM that mainly records activity, an AI-enabled CRM can help teams interpret available data and decide which action to take next. The exact capabilities differ substantially between products and plans.

How Does AI-Powered CRM Software Work?

An AI CRM uses information available in connected customer records, emails, meetings, calls, website activity, or other supported systems. Depending on the product, AI models can summarise interactions, classify or score leads, identify unusual patterns, draft messages, forecast sales, or trigger configured workflows. These outputs are only as useful as the data, integrations, permissions, and review processes behind them; AI-generated information should be checked when accuracy matters.

Benefits of AI-Powered CRM Software

AI features are most useful when they address a specific bottleneck in the sales or customer-management process. Common benefits include:

Improved Customer Insights

AI-powered CRMs analyze customer data in real time to reveal patterns, preferences, and behaviors. This helps businesses understand what customers want, when they want it, and how to engage them more effectively.

Faster and Smarter Decision-Making

With AI handling data processing and predictions, teams can make quicker decisions based on facts rather than assumptions. This can improve planning, although forecasts still depend on reliable data and appropriate human review.

Automation of Repetitive Tasks

AI automates tasks like data entry, follow-up reminders, lead scoring, and email sending. This reduces manual work and gives teams more time to focus on strategy and customer relationships.

Personalized Customer Experiences

AI helps create highly personalized messages, product recommendations, and interactions based on each customer’s profile. This can make communication more relevant, but results depend on message quality and customer context.

Higher Sales Productivity

By identifying high-quality leads, predicting customer intent, and recommending the next best action, AI helps sales teams close deals faster and more efficiently.

Better Customer Support

AI chatbots and virtual assistants provide 24/7 support, answering common questions instantly. This can reduce repetitive support work, but complex or sensitive issues still need human handling.

How We Selected the Best AI-Powered CRM Software in 2027

We compared the platforms against the same set of practical buying criteria: what their AI features are designed to do, how those features connect to everyday CRM work, which teams each product appears best suited to, and how pricing and plan limits may affect adoption. This is a feature-and-fit comparison based on product information and pricing details available for review, not a claim that every platform was independently hands-on tested or benchmarked. Product capabilities and prices should be checked against current vendor documentation before a final purchase decision.

Criteria Used

• AI usefulness: Whether the platform documents practical capabilities such as lead scoring, summaries, forecasting, AI assistance, agents, or workflow automation—and whether these are included or require an add-on.
• Core CRM coverage: How well it supports contacts, accounts, leads, opportunities, pipeline tracking, and customer activity.
• Workflow and integrations: How the CRM connects with email, calendars, collaboration tools, marketing systems, and other business applications.
• Usability and flexibility: Whether teams can configure workflows and records without unnecessary administrative complexity.
• Reporting and decision support: Whether it provides reporting, forecasting, pipeline analysis, or other actionable insights.
• Total cost and scalability: The effect of user licences, annual billing, onboarding, AI credits, usage charges, and plan restrictions—not just the advertised entry price.
• Best-fit use case: The kind of business, sales motion, and operating environment each platform is most likely to serve well.

Top 10 AI-Powered CRM Software in 2027

Here is the list of the top 10 AI-powered CRM software platforms in 2027. Compare their artificial intelligence capabilities, sales automation, customer insights, workflow integration, and pricing to find a suitable solution for your business.

1. Salesforce Sales Cloud Einstein AI and Agentforce – Best for Enterprise AI-Powered Sales Management
2. HubSpot Smart CRM Breeze AI – Best for AI-Driven Marketing and Sales Alignment
3. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot – Best for AI-Assisted Sales and Microsoft Integration
4. Zoho CRM Zia AI – Best for Affordable AI-Powered CRM and Sales Automation
5. Freshsales Freddy AI – Best for AI-Powered Sales Engagement and Lead Scoring
6. Creatio CRM – Best for AI-Driven Workflow Automation and No-Code Customisation
7. Pipedrive AI Sales Assistant – Best for AI-Assisted Sales Pipeline Management
8. Attio – Best for Flexible CRM and AI-Enhanced Relationship Management
9. Affinity – Best for AI-Powered Relationship Intelligence
10. Close CRM – Best for AI-Assisted Sales Communication and Productivity

1. Salesforce Sales Cloud Einstein AI and Agentforce – Best for Enterprise AI Automation and Predictive Sales Insights

Company Overview

Salesforce Sales Cloud is an AI-powered CRM platform that helps businesses manage customer relationships, sales activities, and opportunities. It centralises contact records, account information, and deal progress, giving sales teams a unified view of their pipelines. Its customisable tools support lead management, forecasting, reporting, and collaboration across growing businesses and large enterprises.

Salesforce extends its core CRM with predictive insights, automated workflows, and AI agents for supported sales tasks. Depending on the edition and configuration, users can access opportunity insights, activity summaries, sales recommendations, and automation features. The platform suits organisations seeking advanced customisation and scalable sales management. Buyers should compare edition features, AI availability, and additional usage costs before choosing a plan.

Key Features

• Einstein AI: Provides AI capabilities for supported CRM workflows, helping sales teams analyse customer information and improve productivity.
• Lead Management: Organises prospect records and supports lead assignment, qualification, and follow-up activities.
• Opportunity Management: Tracks deals, sales stages, and customer interactions to improve pipeline visibility.
• Predictive Sales Insights: Supports lead scoring, opportunity analysis, and forecasting through eligible products and editions.
• Agentforce AI Agents: Enables businesses to deploy AI agents for supported sales tasks and business workflows.
• Workflow Automation: Automates configured sales processes, task assignments, and follow-up activities.
• Sales Analytics: Provides reports and dashboards to help managers monitor revenue performance and pipeline activity.
• CRM Integrations: Connects customer and sales information with supported Salesforce applications and external business systems.

Pricing

• Starter Suite: $25/user/month, with core CRM, lead management, sales flows, and built-in email and calendar activity synchronisation.
• Pro Suite: $100/user/month, billed annually, with additional customisation, automation, quoting, and forecasting capabilities.
• Core: $195/user/month, billed annually, with expanded sales capabilities and access to selected AI features and add-ons.
• Agentforce Costs: Advanced AI agents may require additional licences or usage-based pricing. Salesforce lists its Agentforce for Sales add-on from $125/user/month, while other consumption-based options are also available.

Key Consideration

The main trade-off is operational complexity: organisations may need experienced administrators, implementation support, and governance for custom workflows and AI agents. Confirm which Einstein and Agentforce capabilities are included in the intended edition and model any usage-based charges before comparing total cost.

2. HubSpot Smart CRM Breeze AI – Best for Inbound Marketing and AI-Assisted Sales Workflows

Company Overview

HubSpot Smart CRM is a customer relationship management platform that helps businesses organise customer information and connect marketing, sales, and service activities. It centralises contact records, engagement histories, and deal details, giving teams a shared view of customer relationships. Its connected tools support lead management, customer communication, and sales pipeline tracking.

The platform adds artificial intelligence to supported workflows, helping users generate content, summarise CRM records, prepare for meetings, and complete tasks. Depending on the subscription, businesses can access additional automation, reporting, and AI tools. The platform suits growing companies that want to coordinate inbound marketing and sales in one system. Buyers should compare subscription limits and AI credit requirements before upgrading.

Key Features

• Contact Management: Stores customer details, company information, interaction histories, and sales records in a central CRM.
• Breeze AI Assistant: Helps users generate content, summarise records, prepare for meetings, and complete supported tasks.
• Email Marketing: Provides tools to create and send marketing emails, with sending limits and features determined by the subscription.
• Lead Management: Organises prospects and tracks their progress through the sales pipeline.
• Customer Segmentation: Groups contacts using CRM properties and available customer information to support targeted communication.
• Sales Automation: Automates supported sales activities, follow-ups, and workflows according to the selected plan.
• Reporting and Analytics: Provides dashboards and reports for monitoring sales activities, marketing engagement, and customer interactions.
• Connected CRM Platform: Brings customer information together across supported marketing, sales, and service tools.

Pricing

• Free Tools: $0/month, providing foundational CRM features for up to two users without requiring a credit card.
• Starter: From $7/seat/month under eligible promotional pricing; the official pricing page also displays a standard $20/seat/month option depending on billing terms.
• Professional: From $90/seat/month when committing annually, with a higher displayed monthly-billing rate and a required one-time onboarding fee of $1,500 for the Sales Hub Professional offer.
• Enterprise: From $150/seat/month, with advanced sales capabilities and a required one-time onboarding fee of $3,500 for the Sales Hub Enterprise offer. AI credit usage and other product costs may be additional.

Key Consideration

HubSpot is most compelling when marketing, sales, and service teams benefit from shared customer records. The trade-off is that advanced automation, reporting, seats, onboarding, and AI-credit requirements can make the full setup more expensive than the free or entry-level offer suggests.

3. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot – Best for Microsoft Integration and Enterprise Sales Intelligence

Company Overview

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales is an AI-powered CRM platform that helps businesses manage leads, track opportunities, organise customer data, and improve sales productivity. It provides sales automation, reporting, and dashboards to streamline daily operations. Its integration with Microsoft 365 connects sales activities with tools such as Outlook and Teams, helping businesses manage customer relationships efficiently.

The platform helps users prepare for meetings, summarise opportunities, draft emails, and access relevant customer insights. Higher-tier plans offer additional sales intelligence and AI capabilities, while some advanced features require Copilot Credits and an Azure subscription. The platform suits organisations using Microsoft business applications. Businesses should review licence requirements, available features, and additional AI usage costs before choosing a plan.

Key Features

• Copilot AI Assistant: Provides AI assistance for supported sales activities, helping users retrieve information and work more efficiently.
• Lead Management: Organises prospect records and supports lead qualification and follow-up activities.
• Opportunity Management: Tracks deals, sales stages, and customer interactions throughout the sales cycle.
• AI-Powered Summaries: Summarises lead and opportunity information to help sales representatives understand customer context.
• Email Assistance: Helps draft email replies and summarise relevant email conversations in supported workflows.
• Meeting Preparation: Provides meeting-related summaries and contextual information to help representatives prepare for customer discussions.
• Microsoft 365 Integration: Connects supported sales workflows with Microsoft applications, including Outlook and Teams, subject to licensing requirements.
• Sales Intelligence and Analytics: Offers reporting, forecasting, and advanced sales insights through eligible editions.

Pricing

• Sales Professional: $65/user/month, billed yearly, with core sales force automation, Microsoft 365 interoperability, reporting, and dashboards.
• Sales Enterprise: $105/user/month, billed yearly, with advanced sales automation, contextual insights, AI capabilities, and customisation.
• Sales Premium: $150/user/month, billed yearly, including Sales Insights, AI-powered recommended actions, data enrichment, and 1,000 Copilot Credits.
• Additional AI Costs: Additional Copilot Credits can be purchased through eligible pre-purchase or pay-as-you-go options. Running agents through Microsoft Copilot Studio requires an Azure subscription.

Key Consideration

Dynamics 365 is a stronger fit when the business already relies on Microsoft 365 and related services. Its main consideration is licensing and deployment complexity: verify the exact Sales licence, Copilot entitlement, regional availability, and any credit or Azure requirements for the workflows you plan to use.

4. Zoho CRM Zia AI – Best for Affordable AI Automation and Sales Predictions

Company Overview

Zoho CRM is an AI-powered customer relationship management platform that helps businesses manage leads, automate sales activities, and analyse customer data. Its Zia AI capabilities provide predictions, recommendations, and insights that help sales teams identify potential opportunities and make informed decisions. Contact management, reporting, and workflow tools also help businesses organise sales operations in one place.

The platform is particularly suitable for small and midsize businesses seeking affordable CRM automation without the complexity of large enterprise systems. Depending on the subscription edition, users can access AI-powered predictions, sales scoring, process automation, and advanced customisation. Businesses should compare the available editions carefully because not every Zia feature is included in every plan.

Key Features

• Zia AI Assistant: Provides AI-powered assistance and recommendations for supported CRM activities.
• Lead Scoring: Helps sales teams prioritise promising prospects using available customer and sales data.
• Sales Forecasting: Supports revenue predictions and sales planning through historical and current pipeline information.
• Workflow Automation: Automates repetitive tasks, notifications, and configured sales processes.
• Anomaly Detection: Helps identify unusual patterns or changes in business data.
• Conversational Assistance: Supports natural-language interactions with eligible AI tools.
• Sales Analytics: Provides reports and dashboards to monitor sales performance and customer trends.
• CRM Customisation: Allows businesses to adapt fields, layouts, and workflows to their operational requirements.

Pricing

• Standard: $14/user/month, billed annually, with essential CRM capabilities, sales automation, and reporting tools.
• Professional: $23/user/month, billed annually, with additional process management and sales functionality.
• Enterprise: $40/user/month, billed annually, with advanced customisation and expanded Zia AI capabilities.
• Ultimate: $52/user/month, billed annually, with higher feature limits and additional advanced CRM capabilities.

Key Consideration

Zoho’s value depends on choosing the right edition. Before committing, test the specific Zia functions your team needs—such as scoring, predictions, or anomaly detection—and confirm they are included in the plan rather than assuming every AI feature is available at the entry price.

5. Freshsales Freddy AI – Best for AI-Powered Lead Scoring and Sales Communication

Company Overview

Freshsales combines customer relationship management, sales communication, and AI-assisted insights to help teams manage prospects and sales opportunities. Its Freddy AI capabilities support sales activities by helping representatives assess leads, review deal information, and identify opportunities that may need attention. Contact records, communication tools, and pipeline management are available within the same workspace.

The platform is a practical option for businesses that want to improve lead qualification and organise sales follow-ups. Depending on the selected subscription, teams can access contact scoring, deal insights, sales sequences, and forecasting features. Additional AI functionality may carry separate charges, making it important to consider both subscription costs and expected AI usage when comparing plans.

Key Features

• Freddy AI: Supports AI-assisted sales activities and customer engagement workflows.
• Contact Scoring: Helps sales representatives prioritise prospects based on available information.
• Deal Insights: Provides sales teams with information to evaluate opportunities and determine next steps.
• Sales Sequences: Automates structured follow-ups and helps maintain consistent communication with prospects.
• Built-In Communication: Combines supported email, chat, and phone capabilities with customer records.
• Workflow Automation: Reduces repetitive administrative work through configurable sales processes.
• Forecasting Insights: Helps eligible teams analyse pipeline activity and estimate potential revenue.
• Custom Modules: Enables eligible users to organise CRM information around specific business requirements.

Pricing

• Growth: $9/user/month, billed annually, with contact lifecycle stages, communication tools, and basic workflows.
• Pro: $39/user/month, billed annually, adding contact scoring, deal insights, sales sequences, and territory management.
• Enterprise: $59/user/month, billed annually, with forecasting insights, field-level permissions, custom modules, and sandbox capabilities.
• Freddy AI Agent: $49 per 100 sessions, listed as an add-on for businesses that need additional AI agent functionality.

Key Consideration

Freshsales is worth shortlisting for teams that want CRM and sales communication in one workspace. Check whether the AI feature you need is included, separately priced, or subject to usage limits; also confirm that its reporting and customisation meet the needs of a larger or more complex sales organisation.

6. Creatio CRM – Best for No-Code AI Automation and Customisable Workflows

Company Overview

Creatio combines CRM functionality with a no-code platform for designing and automating business processes. Businesses can manage customer information, track sales opportunities, and create workflows that reflect their operational requirements. Its visual design tools and AI-enabled capabilities help teams coordinate customer-facing activities while reducing dependence on extensive custom coding.

The platform is particularly relevant to organisations that need flexible workflows and customisable business applications. Teams can adapt sales processes, configure approval steps, and connect activities across departments. However, pricing requires careful consideration because the platform subscription and individual CRM products may be charged separately. Businesses should calculate the combined cost and review AI credit requirements before selecting a configuration.

Key Features

• No-Code Process Design: Enables teams to design and modify workflows through visual configuration tools.
• Sales Automation: Helps manage leads, opportunities, sales activities, and deal progression.
• AI-Assisted Workflows: Supports AI-enabled processes and automation scenarios.
• Lead and Opportunity Management: Organises prospect information and tracks deals throughout the sales pipeline.
• Sales Forecasting: Helps teams monitor pipeline performance and estimate potential revenue.
• Custom Business Applications: Allows organisations to tailor applications and workflows to specific requirements.
• Customer Data Management: Centralises relevant customer and sales information for teams.
• Cross-Department Automation: Supports connected business processes across sales and other functions.

Pricing

• Growth Platform: £32/user/month, providing platform capabilities for smaller businesses beginning with business process automation.
• Enterprise Platform: £61/user/month, designed for organisations requiring more extensive automation capabilities across teams and workflows.
• Sales CRM Product: £12/user/month, listed separately from the platform subscription.
• Unlimited Plan: Custom pricing, offering the platform and CRM products without per-user limits.

Key Consideration

Creatio’s flexibility is useful for non-standard processes, but it can make configuration and pricing harder to compare. Ask for a written quote covering the platform, CRM products, AI credits, implementation, and support so the total cost is clear before rollout.

7. Pipedrive AI Sales Assistant – Best for Visual Sales Pipeline Management and AI-Powered Insights

Company Overview

Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM that helps businesses manage leads, track deals, and organise activities through a visual pipeline. Its AI capabilities support tasks such as report creation, data imports, and selected sales activities. The platform brings customer records, deal tracking, and pipeline reporting together, helping representatives monitor progress and maintain consistent follow-ups.

The platform is particularly suitable for small and midsize sales teams that want an easy-to-use CRM with practical automation tools. Depending on the subscription, users can access email automation, sales sequences, custom reporting, and AI-assisted email features. Businesses should compare plan limits and included tools carefully, as some capabilities are reserved for higher-tier subscriptions or offered through optional add-ons.

Key Features

• Visual Sales Pipeline: Displays deals by stage to help teams monitor progress and identify bottlenecks.
• AI-Powered Reporting: Helps users generate reports using text prompts or available templates.
• Sales Automation: Automates repetitive tasks and configured workflows to support consistent follow-ups.
• Email Assistance: Provides supported AI tools for writing, summarising, and replying to emails.
• Meeting Intelligence: Pipedrive Nova can provide meeting briefs, call transcripts, and suggested CRM updates.
• Activity Management: Helps teams organise calls, meetings, tasks, and follow-up reminders.
• Lead Management: Centralises contact information and tracks prospects throughout the sales process.
• Integrations: Connects with supported business applications to extend CRM functionality.

Pricing

• Lite: $14/user/month, billed annually, with lead, contact, calendar, and pipeline management, plus AI-powered report creation.
• Growth: $24/user/month, billed annually, adding email synchronisation, tracking, sales automation, and nurturing sequences.
• Premium: $49/user/month, billed annually, with advanced lead generation, custom scoring, AI-powered email tools, and additional sales features.
• Ultimate: $69/user/month, billed annually, adding features such as enhanced account security, data enrichment, sandbox testing, and extended support.

Key Consideration

Pipedrive works best when the team wants a clear pipeline and assistance with day-to-day selling. It may be less suitable if the buying requirement centres on autonomous agents, deep enterprise-wide process orchestration, or a broad all-in-one marketing and service suite.

8. Attio CRM – Best for AI-Native Customer Relationship Management and Flexible Workflows

Company Overview

Attio is an AI-native CRM platform that helps businesses organise customer information, research prospects, and automate go-to-market workflows. Its flexible data model allows teams to customise records and lists around their business requirements. AI tools can research companies, enrich contact information, summarise records, and help users extract useful insights from customer data.

The platform is particularly suitable for startups and growing businesses that need a flexible CRM with built-in AI capabilities. Teams can automate lead qualification, organise sales pipelines, and use call intelligence to capture conversations and identify important customer signals. Its customisable structure is useful for businesses that want to adapt their CRM as their sales processes evolve, although advanced features and higher usage allowances depend on the selected plan.

Key Features

• AI Research Agent: Researches companies and prospects to support lead qualification and account research.
• AI-Powered Workflows: Automates tasks such as classifying records, enriching information, and summarising customer data.
• Contact Enrichment: Adds useful information to contact and company records using supported data sources.
• Call Intelligence: Records and summarises supported calls, identifies customer signals, and captures follow-up actions.
• Custom Data Model: Allows teams to organise records, relationships, and attributes around their specific requirements.
• Sales Pipeline Management: Helps businesses track opportunities and manage their go-to-market activities.
• AI-Assisted Reporting: Supports analysis of customer information, pipeline health, and sales performance.
• Integrations: Connects CRM data with supported business tools and AI applications.

Pricing

• Free: $0/user/month, with basic CRM functionality, real-time contact syncing, automatic data enrichment, and up to three seats.
• Plus: $35/user/month, billed annually, with private lists, enhanced email sending, and support for up to ten seats.
• Pro: $79/user/month, billed annually, with call intelligence, sequences, advanced reporting, and additional automation capabilities.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, billed annually, with expanded data management, security, and administrative controls.

Key Consideration

Attio’s flexible data model can suit teams that want to shape the CRM around their process. Before adopting it across the business, test whether its permissions, reporting, integrations, data controls, and plan limits are sufficient for your team’s scale and governance needs.

9. Affinity CRM – Best for Relationship Intelligence and Private Capital Deal Management

Company Overview

Affinity is an AI-powered CRM designed primarily for private capital firms that rely on relationships to source and close deals. It automatically captures supported email, calendar, and meeting activity, helping teams build a more complete picture of their professional network. Relationship intelligence analyses interaction patterns to identify strong connections and potential introduction paths.

The platform is particularly useful for venture capital, private equity, and other investment firms that need to manage deal flow and strengthen their networks. AI-powered tools can assist with meeting preparation, conversation capture, pipeline updates, and investment-related research. Rather than focusing solely on conventional sales activity tracking, it helps deal teams understand who knows a prospective founder or investor, which relationships are strongest, and where follow-up may be needed.

Key Features

• Relationship Intelligence: Analyses interaction patterns to help teams understand relationship strength and identify valuable connections.
• Automatic Activity Capture: Records supported email, calendar, and meeting activity to reduce manual data entry.
• Warm Introduction Paths: Identifies potential introductions through a firm’s existing professional network.
• Deal Pipeline Management: Tracks opportunities from initial contact through subsequent deal stages.
• AI Meeting Preparation: Helps assemble relevant relationship and deal context before meetings.
• AI Notetaker: Captures meeting information and helps produce summaries and follow-up actions on supported plans.
• Affinity Ascend Agents: Supports AI-driven workflows for tasks such as deal monitoring, meeting preparation, and pipeline updates.
• Data Enrichment: Enhances records with relevant company and contact information through supported data sources.

Pricing

• Essential: $2,000/user/year, billed annually, with automatic activity capture, relationship scoring, interaction history, and deal pipeline tracking.
• Scale: $2,300/user/year, billed annually, adding AI Chat, Notetaker, Affinity Ascend agents, and a hosted MCP server.
• Advanced: $2,700/user/year, billed annually, with expanded data enrichment, company growth insights, and additional integrations.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, designed for firms requiring tailored access, security, and administrative arrangements.

Key Consideration

Affinity is specialised for relationship-driven deal sourcing, especially in private capital. Organisations with conventional high-volume sales, service-ticketing, or broad marketing automation needs should compare it with a general-purpose CRM before choosing it as their main customer system.

10. Close CRM – Best for AI Sales Agents and Built-In Calling Automation

Company Overview

Close CRM combines lead management, calling, email, SMS, and sales automation in one platform. Its built-in communication tools allow sales representatives to contact prospects and keep interaction histories connected to CRM records. AI capabilities include lead summaries, suggested actions, AI-assisted search, and Chloe, the platform’s AI sales agent.

The software is particularly suitable for sales teams that depend on outbound prospecting, frequent calls, and structured follow-ups. Depending on the subscription, users can automate outreach, update CRM records through workflows, and use AI to help qualify leads or prepare for conversations. Each plan includes a monthly allocation of AI credits, while calling, SMS, and additional AI usage can affect the overall cost.

Key Features

• Chloe AI Sales Agent: Helps automate supported prospecting and qualification tasks, including calling leads and booking meetings.
• AI Lead Summaries: Summarises lead activity and interaction history on eligible plans.
• Suggested Actions: Highlights stalled or potentially at-risk deals and recommends next steps.
• Built-In Calling and SMS: Enables sales teams to communicate with prospects directly through supported CRM tools.
• Email Automation: Supports templates, email tracking, bulk email, and scheduled outreach according to the plan.
• Automated Sales Workflows: Triggers configured email, SMS, and calling activities based on lead conditions.
• AI Meeting Notetaker: Records, transcribes, and summarises supported meetings.
• Sales Reporting: Provides activity dashboards and pipeline reports to help teams evaluate performance.

Pricing

• Solo: $9/user/month, billed annually, for individual sales professionals who need core CRM features and built-in communication tools.
• Essentials: $35/user/month, billed annually, adding team collaboration, unlimited contacts and leads, and a centralised inbox.
• Growth: $99/user/month, billed annually, adding automated workflows, power dialing, bulk email, and expanded AI capabilities.
• Scale: $139/user/month, billed annually, with predictive dialing, advanced access controls, lead visibility rules, and live call coaching.

Key Consideration

Close is particularly relevant for inside-sales teams that rely on calls, SMS, email, and structured follow-up. It is less suited to organisations needing complex territory hierarchies, extensive custom data models, or a broad company-wide marketing and service platform; calculate communication and AI usage alongside seat costs.

How to Choose the Right AI CRM for Your Business

Start with the task you most need to improve, rather than choosing the platform with the longest AI feature list.

• For enterprise customisation and agent workflows: Shortlist Salesforce, then confirm implementation resources, governance, and the full licence and usage cost.
• For connected inbound marketing and sales: Compare HubSpot’s shared CRM approach with the actual automation, reporting, and onboarding costs of the required tier.
• For Microsoft-based organisations: Evaluate Dynamics 365 against your existing Microsoft licences and the exact Copilot features your team will use.
• For smaller teams watching costs: Compare Zoho CRM and Freshsales feature by feature, including which AI tools are included at each tier.
• For highly configurable processes: Consider Creatio if the value of no-code process design justifies its platform and CRM product costs.
• For straightforward pipeline execution: Look at Pipedrive; for a flexible, data-model-led CRM, assess Attio.
• For relationship-led investment teams: Affinity may be a closer fit than a general-purpose sales CRM.
• For phone-heavy outbound sales: Close is worth evaluating, with calling, messaging, and AI usage included in the cost calculation.

Before signing a contract, run a short pilot using realistic records and workflows. Check data import quality, permissions, integration reliability, AI accuracy, human approval controls, export options, and the effort required to keep records clean. Ask vendors to demonstrate the exact features included in the proposed plan and provide a written estimate of recurring and one-time costs.

Conclusion: Choosing the Best AI-Powered CRM Software in 2027

The best AI-powered CRM software in 2027 depends on your sales process, team size, existing technology, and budget—not simply on how many AI features a platform advertises. Salesforce Sales Cloud Einstein AI and Agentforce is worth evaluating for complex enterprise workflows; HubSpot Smart CRM Breeze AI connects marketing and sales; and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot is a natural shortlist option for Microsoft-centric organisations. Zoho CRM Zia AI and Freshsales Freddy AI are worth comparing for AI-assisted sales work in smaller and midsize teams.

For configurable process automation, consider Creatio CRM; for visual pipeline management, Pipedrive; and for flexible, AI-native customer data workflows, Attio. Affinity is more specialised for relationship-led investment dealmaking, while Close CRM focuses on communication-heavy inside sales.

Before choosing, confirm the exact AI features available in your proposed plan, test them with realistic workflows, and calculate total cost across licences, onboarding, integrations, AI credits, and communication usage. Review security, access controls, data handling, and human approval options as well. The right CRM should solve a defined operational problem and fit the way your team works; AI features alone do not guarantee better sales outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Is AI CRM Different from Traditional CRM?

Traditional CRM software primarily stores customer records, sales opportunities, and communication histories. AI-powered CRM software adds capabilities such as predictive analytics, automated data capture, lead scoring, and recommendations for next actions. The available features vary by platform, subscription, and configuration.

What Are the Benefits of AI CRM for Sales Teams?

AI CRM can reduce manual data entry, prioritise promising leads, summarise customer interactions, and identify potential risks in sales opportunities. These capabilities help sales representatives spend less time on administrative tasks and more time engaging with prospects. Results depend on data quality and how effectively the team uses the tools.

Which AI CRM Software Is Best for Small Businesses?

Zoho CRM Zia AI, Freshsales Freddy AI, and Pipedrive AI Sales Assistant are options worth comparing for smaller sales teams. Zoho offers AI-assisted CRM features, Freshsales combines sales engagement with AI capabilities, and Pipedrive focuses on pipeline management. Compare available AI features, user limits, and subscription costs before deciding.

What Is the Best AI CRM for Enterprise Sales Teams?

Salesforce Sales Cloud Einstein AI and Agentforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot are strong options for enterprise sales teams. Salesforce offers extensive customisation and AI capabilities, while Dynamics 365 integrates with Microsoft business applications. The best choice depends on your existing technology stack, governance requirements, workflows, and implementation budget.

How Does AI Improve CRM Sales Forecasting?

AI can analyse historical sales data, deal progress, customer engagement, and other available signals to estimate the likelihood of closing opportunities. It may also identify deals that need attention and highlight potential changes in pipeline performance. Forecast accuracy depends on data quality, model capabilities, and regular review by sales managers.

Can AI CRM Software Reduce Manual Data Entry?

Yes. Depending on the platform and configuration, AI CRM tools can summarise emails and meetings, capture activity details, update records, and automate selected administrative tasks. Teams should verify automatically generated information and check which integrations and permissions are required for these functions.

What Are AI Sales Agents, and What Can They Do?

AI sales agents are software-based assistants that can perform defined tasks with varying levels of autonomy. Depending on the platform, they may research accounts, prepare outreach drafts, summarise customer records, support lead qualification, or trigger workflows. Businesses should review approval settings and keep appropriate human oversight for important customer-facing actions.

How Much Does AI-Powered CRM Software Cost?

AI CRM pricing varies by provider, subscription tier, number of users, and available features. Some platforms offer entry-level plans, while advanced AI tools may require higher-tier subscriptions, usage credits, or add-ons. Compare the total cost of licences, integrations, implementation, training, and ongoing administration rather than relying only on advertised starting prices.

Is AI CRM Software Secure?

Security depends on the provider, subscription, configuration, and how the organisation manages its data. Before choosing a platform, review access permissions, encryption, audit logs, data-retention policies, and the provider’s terms for using customer data with AI features. Establish approval procedures and human oversight for sensitive or consequential actions.

What Should Businesses Evaluate Before Choosing an AI CRM?

Businesses should compare AI capabilities, customer data management, sales automation, integrations, reporting, security controls, usability, and total cost. It is also important to confirm which features are included in the selected plan. Testing shortlisted platforms with realistic sales workflows can reveal whether they meet the team’s practical requirements.

How Long Does AI CRM Implementation Take?

Implementation may take days or weeks for a straightforward setup, while complex enterprise deployments can take several months. The timeline depends on data migration, integrations, workflow customisation, user training, and security requirements. Starting with essential CRM functions and introducing advanced AI capabilities in phases can make adoption easier to manage.